Become a MHAA Grant Review Panelist
Do you ever wonder how the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) reviews and selects grants for funding? Here’s your chance to get involved in the process!
The program is seeking panelists to review grant applications. MHAA has a few open spots on the FY 2022 grant review panel and will also accept nominations for future grant review cycles on a rolling basis. Panelists will have a unique opportunity to learn about and support Maryland’s historic, natural and cultural heritage, get an inside look into our grant review process, and gain insight into what makes a good grant proposal. It’s also a way to give back to Maryland’s heritage community!
Is it a lot of work? Yes! Each panelist will be assigned between 20 and 30 applications to review in May. Each panelist will be the “lead reviewer” for approximately 10 of those applications and should allow approximately 1-2 hours to evaluate each of those applications. For the remaining applications, a quicker read may be feasible, and panelists should allow approximately 30-45 minutes to review each of those applications. In addition to the time spent reading and scoring applications, each panelist will be expected to attend two day-long (10 – 4 pm) review meetings in June. As new reviewers, panelists should expect some additional hours for training and initial review of background materials. In total, panelists should expect to spend between 40 and 60 hours on MHAP grants review activities over the course of several months, mainly focused in May and June.
Who is eligible? Panelists may have experience in a broad range of areas, from construction and marketing to historic preservation and outdoor recreation. See the full list of relevant areas and apply to serve or nominate a colleague. Be sure to complete the form by March 12, 2021 for best consideration for this year’s grant review. All panel meetings are expected to be conducted virtually this year.
Want to know more? Learn about the Grants Panel Guidelines and read about FY 2021’s panelists, many of whom will be serving again for FY 2022.
Thank you for you interest!